Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Bilateral Facial Spasm Following Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Zain Guduru, John Morgan, Kapil Sethi

Neurology Faculty Publications

Background: We report a patient who developed lower facial muscle spasm at rest and bilateral facial synkinesis several months after treatment of Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS); this finding, to our knowledge, is hitherto unreported.

Phenomenology Shown: Bilateral synkinesis, facial muscles spasm at rest, bilateral postparalytic facial syndrome.

Educational Value: Aberrant regeneration of nerve fibers post GBS, resulting in facial muscles spasm at rest, bilateral synkinesis.

Early Diagnosis And Nutritional Treatment Stabilizes Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ian James Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The reliable diagnostic identification of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disease, and depression has been associated with some biological markers (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics) but to date, these markers do not have the sensitivity/specificity of a diagnostic test. Biomarker tests that are relevant to global chronic disease are now applicable to neuropsychiatric diseases to prevent autoimmune disease, endoplasmic reticulum stress associated mitophagy with relevance to neuron apoptosis. Metabolic abnormalities has been linked to neuropsychiatric disorder with the careful nutritional assessment of patients reported in many published studies. Early interventions with genomic medicine now assist in the prevention of autoimmune disease …

Takayasu Arteritis: An Update, Gökhan Keser, Kenan Aksu, Rafi̇ Haner Di̇reskeneli̇

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is a challenging chronic, granulomatous, large-vessel systemic vasculitis, mostly due to difficulties in early diagnosis and assessing actual disease activity. Since there are no specific diagnostic laboratory tests, biomarkers, or autoantibodies, many patients experience considerable delay in diagnosis. Remembering the possibility of TAK together with the use of acute phase responses and appropriate imaging studies may be helpful for early diagnosis. Since there may be discrepancies between systemic and vascular wall inflammation, using only acute phase responses is not reliable in assessing current disease activity. Therefore, physical examination and new imaging findings should also be used to …

Microbiological And Clinical Data Analysis Of 32 Patients With Nocardia Infections In Yantai, Hong-Xia Yu, Ming Liu, Zeng-Hui Pu, Yan Liu, Mao-Mao Zhao

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Nocardia is an opportunistic pathogen that mostly a ects hosts with immune de ciencies. Recently, the widespread use of immunosuppressive agents and antitumor drugs has led to an increasing number of Nocardia infections being reported. However, it is di cult to con rm this diagnosis owing to the slow growth of the bacterium and its complex resultant clinical manifestations, potentially delaying treatment and increasing mortality. us, further knowledge on the clinical characteristics of Nocardia infection is required. Hence, this study aimed to review the demographics, comorbidities, clinical presentation, microbiology, treatment, and outcomes of Nocardia infections in Yantai. Materials and …

Polycythemia Vera: Diagnosis, Clinical Course, And Current Management, Yahya Büyükaşik, Ridvan Ali̇, Muhli̇s Cem Ar, Mehmet Turgut, Aki̇f Seli̇m Yavuz, Güray Saydam

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Very important developments related to polycythemia vera (PV) have occurred during the last two decades. The discovery of Janus kinase (JAK) 2 mutations has changed both the diagnosis and clinical management of PV. Currently JAK2 molecular testing is essential in the diagnostic work-up and JAK2 mutation positivity is a major diagnostic criterion. The discovery of JAK2 mutations suggested that abnormal JAK-STAT signaling was a pivotal feature in the pathogenesis of Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms. This idea led to the development of JAK inhibitors. Currently ruxolitinib, a JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor, is also approved for PV patients with hydroxyurea resistance or intolerance. International collaborations …

Prostate Cancer Microparticles In Men Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy, Malcolm James Dewar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Objectives: To determine changes in prostate microparticle (PMP) concentrations in men with prostate cancer (PCa) after digital rectal examination (DRE), after radical prostatectomy (RP), and at follow-up.

Materials and Methods: 22 men were recruited before RP. Four blood specimens were collected – baseline (specimen 1), post-DRE (specimen 2), immediately post-RP (specimen 3), and follow-up (specimen 4). Pre- and post-DRE urine was collected (Specimen A and B respectively). Flow cytometric analysis of biofluids was performed with fluorescent-labeled antibodies against prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and polysialic acid. Total MP (TMP) and dual positive (PMP) events per µl of plasma or urine were …

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging As An Assessment Tool In Critically Ill Patients, Loretta Norton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Little is known about whether residual cognitive function occurs in the earliest stages of brain injury. The overarching goal of the work presented in this dissertation was to elucidate the role of functional neuroimaging in assessing brain activity in critically ill patients. The overall objective was addressed in the following four empirical chapters: In Chapter 2, three versions of a hierarchically-designed auditory task were developed and their ability to detect various levels of auditory language processing was assessed in individual healthy participants. The same procedure was then applied in two acutely comatose patients. In Chapter 3, a hierarchical auditory task …

Pediatric Leukemia: Diagnosis To Treatment–A Review, Samantha C. Bernard, Ehab H. Abdelsamad, Paisley A. Johnson, Daniel L. Chapman, Madhukiran Parvathaneni

Faculty Works

Leukemia is cancer of the blood and bone marrow, it is the most common cancer found in children and is found to be more than one fourth of pediatric cancers. It causes white blood cells to become abnormal and the body to become weak. This deficiency in the immune system reduces the body's ability to fight infection or simple airborne illnesses, causing extensive treatment of common pathogens and cancer treatment. The present review covers all topics, from diagnosis to treatment of pediatric leukemia, as well as the stages of growth and physiological changes throughout the process. As leukemia has a …

Lactose Intolerance: An Overview Of The Facts And Their Implications, Noelle M. Yeo

Honors Theses

Lactose intolerance is often blamed for the symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, gas, abdominal pain, and nausea, that ail many people. Patients often do not seek proper diagnosis from a physician and create their own treatment plans, severely restricting lactose intake, without professional guidance. Even those who do seek the care of a physician find that diagnosis is complicated by less-than ideal testing and confusion due to the symptoms common to many other conditions. The misconceptions and inability to confirm a diagnosis of lactose intolerance can cause nutrient deficiencies in these patients, as well as begin a pattern of unnecessary …

Screening Of Immunocompromised Patients At Risk Of Strongyloidiasis In Western Turkey Using Elisa And Real-Time Pcr, Esra Erdem Kivrak, Esra Atalay Şahar, Hüseyi̇n Can, Mert Döşkaya, Mümtaz Yilmaz, Hüsnü Pullukçu, Ayşe Caner, Hüseyi̇n Töz, Adnan Yüksel Gürüz, Meltem Işikgöz Taşbakan

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Strongyloides stercoralis causes life-threatening hyperinfection or disseminated strongyloidiasis in immunocompromised patients such as HIV-positive, organ transplantation, and cancer patients. This study investigated the presence of strongyloidiasis in immunocompromised patients for the first time in Turkey. Materials and methods: Serum and stool samples were collected from 108 patients (25.9% of them were chronic renal failure and 74.1% were renal transplantation patients) who were admitted to Ege University Medical School in İzmir, located in western Turkey. Serum samples were analyzed by ELISA (DRG, Germany) and the presence of 18S rRNA gene of S. stercoralis was detected in stool samples by real-time …

How To Manage Pseudoangiomatous Stromal Hyperplasia: Our Clinical Experience, Emi̇ne Kurt, Sevi̇m Turanli, Fatma Markoç, Ali̇ Uğur Berberoğlu

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) is a rare and benign mesenchymal proliferative breast lesion. Our aim is to review the clinical and radiological features of PASH and define a standard approach for its diagnosis and management. Materials and methods: Clinical records of 35 consecutive patients with PASH were retrospectively reviewed between 2009 and 2015. Patients with clinically or radiologically detected mass and patients who underwent biopsy for other indications and were diagnosed incidentally were included in the study. Results: There were 34 female patients and one male patient with gynecomastia. Twenty-three patients had palpable masses, and 16 of them were …

Methods For Diagnosing And Treating Alzheimer's Disease (Ad) Using The Molecules That Stabilize Intracellular Calcium (Ca2+) Release, Philip W. Landfield, John C. Gant, Eric M. Blalock, Kuey-Chu Chen, Olivier Thibault, Nada M. Porter

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Patents

The subject technology relates, in part, to a method of treating Alzheimer's Disease (AD), early-stage AD, elevated risk of AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or other forms of age-related cognitive decline in a subject in need thereof by administering to the subject a molecule that promotes calcium-release stabilization in ryanodine receptors (RyRs) and/or inosital triphosphate receptors (InsP3Rs) in brain cells. Diagnostic methods using calcium-release stabilizing immunophilins, junctophilins or calmodulin are also disclosed.

Vulvodynia; An Under-Recognized Disease, Simona Roxana Georgescu, Cristina I. Mitran, Mădălina I. Mitran, Maria I. Sârbu, Mircea Tampa

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Vulvodynia is a chronic condition which affects an increasing number of women; it presents currently an incidence that is higher than had previously been estimated. Regarding pathogenesis, several (hormonal, infectious, inflammatory and psychological) factors have been proposed, but vulvodynia etiology remains still unclear. This disorder is a multifactorial condition with a significant impact on the patient’s quality of life, yet is difficult to diagnose (an under-estimated/ under-recognized affection). Certain medical investigations are required in order to exclude other diseases (the diagnosis of vulvodynia being one of exclusion), but anamnesis and physical examination are essential steps in the diagnosis.

Although many …

Elevated Mtss1 Expression Associated With Metastasis And Poor Prognosis Of Residual Hepatitis B-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Xiu-Yan Huang, Zi-Li Huang, Bin Xu, Zi Chen

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Hepatectomy generally offers the best chance of long-term survival for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Many studies have shown that hepatectomy accelerates tumor metastasis, but the mechanism remains unclear.

Methods: An orthotopic nude mice model with palliative HCC hepatectomy was performed in this study. Metastasis-related genes in tumor following resection were screened; HCC invasion, metastasis, and some molecular alterations were examined in vivo and in vitro. Clinical significance of key gene mRNA expression was also analyzed.

Chronic Cough: Clinical Characteristics And Etiologies Of 510 Cases, Guiyuan Jiang, Xinying Huang, Tianlin Li, Dongping Xu

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: To investigate the clinical features and underlying etiologies of chronic cough (CC). Materials and methods: Five hundred and ten CC patients were enrolled. The phases, characteristics and associated clinical manifestations of CC among the gastroesophageal reflux cough (GERC), cough-variant asthma (CVA), and upper airway cough syndrome (UACS) groups were compared, and the diagnostic values of each group were evaluated by multiple regression analysis. Results: In the 510 patients, 404 had CC with single etiology-GERC (n = 175), CVA (n = 134), and UACS (n = 95). The characteristic features of GERC included gastric acid backflow symptoms such as sour-tasting …

An Unusual Pathology With An Undefined Etiology:Solitary Fibrous Tumors Of The Pleura, Kutsal Turhan, Ali̇ Özdi̇l, Ayşe Gül Ergönül, Deni̇z Nart, Alpaslan Çakan, Ufuk Çağirici

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the etiology and clinical and pathological behavior of solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura (SFTPs), as well as the most appropriate surgical approach and the results of long-term follow-up of this condition. Materials and methods: Clinical and long-term follow-up records of 14 patients who had surgery for SFTP between 2001 and 2014 were reviewed retrospectively. Etiological factors, diagnostic procedures, and clinical courses and outcomes for these patients were studied. Results: Of the 14 patients, 8 were male (57%) and 6 were female (43%) patients. The mean age was 54.14 ± …

Method And System For Diagnosis Of Lawsonia Intracellularis, Harold F. Stills Jr., David W. Horohov, Allen E. Page

Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics Faculty Patents

A method, system, and kit are provided for diagnosing L. intracellularis infection or exposure in a subject. The method includes purifying whole L. intracellularis from host cells and host debris produced in or on a suitable medium and adhering the purified whole L. intracellularis on a suitable material to form an antigen substrate for determining whether a subject produces L. intracellularis-specific antibodies against the antigen to thereby indicate L. intracellularis exposure or infection in the subject. The kit includes purified whole L. intracellularis produced from host cells and host debris adhered to a suitable material to form an antigen …

Exposure To Kynurenic Acid During Adolescence Increases Sign-Tracking And Impairs Long-Term Potentiation In Adulthood, Nicole E. Deangeli, Travis P. Todd, Stephen E. Chang, Hermes H. Yeh, Pamela W. Yeh, David J. Bucci

Dartmouth Scholarship

Changes in brain reward systems are thought to contribute significantly to the cognitive and behavioral impairments of schizophrenia, as well as the propensity to develop co-occurring substance abuse disorders. Presently, there are few treatments for persons with a dual diagnosis and little is known about the neural substrates that underlie co-occurring schizophrenia and substance abuse. One goal of the present study was to determine if a change in the concentration of kynurenic acid (KYNA), a tryptophan metabolite that is increased in the brains of people with schizophrenia, affects reward-related behavior. KYNA is an endogenous antagonist of NMDA glutamate receptors and …

Management Of Cerebral Cavernous Malformations: From Diagnosis To Treatment, Nikolaos Mouchtouris, Nohra Chalouhi, Md, Ameet Chitale, Robert Starke, Stavropoula Tjoumakaris, Robert H. Rosenwasswer Md, P. M. Jabbour

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein A And Procalcitonin As Markers Of Myocardial Injury In Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome, Ayşegül Bayir, Hasan Kara, Aysel Kiyici, Bahadir Öztürk, Abdullah Si̇vri̇kaya, Fi̇kret Akyürek

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

To evaluate pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A), ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), procalcitonin, and troponin I levels as diagnostic markers of acute coronary syndrome in patients admitted to the emergency department. Materials and methods: The serum PAPP-A, IMA, procalcitonin, and troponin I levels were measured in 100 patients with acute coronary syndrome admitted to the emergency department and 100 healthy control subjects. Results: Patients with acute coronary syndrome had significantly greater mean serum PAPP-A (patients, 10 ± 10 mIU/L; control subjects, 6 ± 10 mIU/L; P =< 0.001), procalcitonin (patients, 2 ± 10 µg/L; control subjects, 0.4 ± 2 µg/L; P =< 0.001), and troponin I levels (patients, 6 ± 8 µg/L; control subjects, 0.2 ± 0.3 µg/L; P =< 0.001) than control subjects. There was no difference in mean IMA levels between patients and control subjects. There were no significant correlations between PAPP-A levels and IMA, procalcitonin, or troponin I levels in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Conclusion: The PAPP-A, procalcitonin, and troponin I levels were increased in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Therefore, elevated PAPP-A and procalcitonin levels, in addition to troponin I levels, may be useful markers of myocardial injury on admission to the emergency department.

Clinical Characteristics And Prognosis Of Patients With Retinoblastoma: 8-Year Follow-Up, Xin Luo, Huijing Ye, Yun-Gang Ding, Yi Du, Huasheng Yang

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential correlation between clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with retinoblastoma (Rb). Materials and methods: This retrospective study included 314 Rb patients. Clinical data including laterality of eyes, sex, age, presenting signs, lag time, and survival were recorded and analyzed. Results: Leukocoria is the most common clinical presentation of Rb. Patients with isolated leukocoria had shorter lag time and exhibited a high survival rate (85%, 5 years). Patients with strabismus and blurred vision, and who were older and had longer lag time, exhibited an excellent survival rate (100% and 92.3%, …

Myasthenia Gravis: A Closer Look, Erin L. Ricker

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare, chronic autoimmune disease that affects the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and the acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction (Mestecky, 2013). MG causes fluctuating skeletal muscle weakness and fatigue. According to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) (2010), 20 per 100,000 patients are diagnosed with MG, although researchers believe several more patients are misdiagnosed or missed entirely. Several neurological disorders have similar clinical presentations to MG making it difficult for inexperienced practitioners to identify and properly diagnose patients. Patients are often misdiagnosed and delayed proper treatment for one to two years after initial presentation of symptoms …

Biomarkers Of Alzheimer's Disease Risk In Peripheral Tissues; Focus On Buccal Cells, Maxime François, Wayne Leifert, Ralph Martins, Philip Thomas, Michael Fenech

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive degenerative disorder of the brain and is the most common form of dementia. To-date no simple, inexpensive and minimally invasive procedure is available to confirm with certainty the early diagnosis of AD prior to the manifestations of symptoms characteristic of the disease. Therefore, if population screening of individuals is to be performed, more suitable, easily accessible tissues would need to be used for a diagnostic test that would identify those who exhibit cellular pathology indicative of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD risk so that they can be prioritized for primary prevention. This need …

Is The Diagnosis And Treatment Of Childhood Acute Bacterial Meningitis In Turkey Evidence-Based?, Özden Türel, Mustafa Bakir

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Evidence-based guidance is likely to significantly improve patient care. We aimed to characterize the adequacy of standard diagnostic methods and treatment in children with acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) in Turkey. Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective study among children 1 month to 5 years old hospitalized with ABM in İstanbul. The World Health Organization case definition and laboratory criteria were used for diagnosis. Results: Of the 283 cases, 250 were probable and 33 (11.2%) were confirmed as bacterial meningitis. The majority of patients (92%) were treated at 9 governmental hospitals and the remaining 21 at 2 university hospitals. Blood …

Data Mining The Functional Characterizations Of Proteins To Predict Their Cancer-Relatedness, Peter Revesz, Christopher Assi

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

This paper considers two types of protein data. First, data about protein function described in a number of ways, such as, GO terms and PFAM families. Second, data about whether individual proteins are experimentally associated with cancer by an anomalous elevation or lowering of their expressions within cancerous cells. We combine these two types of protein data and test whether the first type of data, that is, the functional descriptors, can predict the second type of data, that is, cancer-relatedness. By using data mining and machine learning, we derive a classifier algorithm that using only GO term and PFAM family …

Development Of A Diagnostic Test Set To Assess Agreement In Breast Pathology: Practical Application Of The Guidelines For Reporting Reliability And Agreement Studies (Grras), Natalia V. Oster, Patricia A. Carney, Kimberly H. Allison, Donald L. Weaver, Lisa Reisch, Gary Longton, Tracy Onega

Dartmouth Scholarship

Diagnostic test sets are a valuable research tool that contributes importantly to the validity and reliability of studies that assess agreement in breast pathology. In order to fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of any agreement and reliability study, however, the methods should be fully reported. In this paper we provide a step-by-step description of the methods used to create four complex test sets for a study of diagnostic agreement among pathologists interpreting breast biopsy specimens. We use the newly developed Guidelines for Reporting Reliability and Agreement Studies (GRRAS) as a basis to report these methods.

Potentials Of Plasma Ngal And Mic-1 As Biomarker(S) In The Diagnosis Of Lethal Pancreatic Cancer., Sukhwinder Kaur, Subhankar Chakraborty, Michael J. Baine, Kavita Mallya, Lynette M. Smith, Aaron Sasson, Randall Brand, Sushovan Guha, Maneesh Jain, Uwe Wittel, Shailender K. Singh, Surinder K. Batra

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is lethal malignancy with very high mortality rate. Absence of sensitive and specific marker(s) is one of the major factors for poor prognosis of PC patients. In pilot studies using small set of patients, secreted acute phase proteins neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) and TGF-β family member macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1) are proposed as most potential biomarkers specifically elevated in the blood of PC patients. However, their performance as diagnostic markers for PC, particularly in pre-treatment patients, remains unknown. In order to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of NGAL and MIC-1, their levels were measured in plasma samples …

Can Plasma-Free Dna Concentration Be A Diagnostic Tool In Critically Ill Septic Patients?, Başak Ceyda Meço, Fatma Handan Cuhruk, Melek Tulunay, Mehmet Oral, Mustafa Necmetti̇n Ünal

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

To investigate the diagnostic value of plasma-free DNA concentration (PF-DNA) in septic patients compared to nonseptic patients and to correlate it with clinical outcome. Materials and methods: Forty-two mechanically ventilated consecutive patients (11 septic, 31 nonseptic) admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) were recruited. On admission, besides PF-DNA concentration, APACHE II and SOFA scores and serum C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and serum lipid concentrations, together with clinical outcome, were assessed. Plasma samples from 11 volunteers were also collected. Appropriate statistics were used for analysis. Results: Median PF-DNA concentrations on admission were significantly higher in septic patients compared to …

Expanding The Basic Science Debate: The Role Of Physics Knowledge In Interpreting Clinical Findings., Mark Goldszmidt, John Paul Minda, Sarah L Devantier, Aimee L Skye, Nicole N Woods

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Current research suggests a role for biomedical knowledge in learning and retaining concepts related to medical diagnosis. However, learning may be influenced by other, non-biomedical knowledge. We explored this idea using an experimental design and examined the effects of causal knowledge on the learning, retention, and interpretation of medical information. Participants studied a handout about several respiratory disorders and how to interpret respiratory exam findings. The control group received the information in standard "textbook" format and the experimental group was presented with the same information as well as a causal explanation about how sound travels through lungs in both the …

Urothelial Cancers: Clinical And Imaging Evaluation, Hali̇l Arslan, Fati̇h Mehmet Tezcan, Oktay Alğin

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Urothelial cancers are currently diagnosed more commonly parallel to the recent developments in imaging techniques. Early diagnosis of these tumors, together with better treatment options, decreases the morbidity and the mortality significantly. This review aims to summarize the imaging findings of urothelial tumors, both at the pretreatment and posttreatment follow-up stage.